Transforming is a Universal Principle

Leadership brings with it transformation and change. Leaders are expected to accept their own transformation and changes, white leading others to accept theirs as well.

Understanding transformation and change are critical to a leader as each word evokes an emotional response or reaction. In knowing how others may perceive these words, the leader is aware of how to make empowering decisions that will support their growth and development.

Transformation, generally has a positive connotation for most people. They think of things going from this state of being to a better state of being. We see this in nature when caterpillars transform into butterflies. We are in awe of the process and delight in the butterflies and their beauty.

Transformation may be expressed in the following equation.

Inspiration X Action+Motivation X Action=Transformation

Inspiration may be defined as the process of being mentally stimulated. People may feel inspired when they hear, see or read something from a great inspirational speaker. They will talk about their experiences with others and share lots of feelings about their inspiration. Sadly many stop there. What makes a difference is when people who are inspired take action. When you feel inspired and you take action, you are living in alignment with your life purpose.

Motivation is usually defined as the reason or reasons for acting in a certain way or taking action. Motivation can be put into 2 categories: intrinsic and extrinsic. Intrinsic motivation is internal to the person and brings them satisfaction just by completing the actions. Extrinsic motivation is more commonly discussed because it is tangible, like money or a vacation. Some research shows it takes almost 66 days to change a habit. Knowing this will support people as they are motivated to stay on track and transform their lives. Motivation on its own will not give them the results they are looking for in their life, they must take action to achieve the changes they seek.

Change in general is perceived negatively because there is a perception of losing something. Many people expect to have less after they experience a change. They feel a sense of loss, grief and resentment for things not being the way they were before the change. There are a vast number of examples of change in our lives every day.

Change may be expressed in the following equations.

Inspiration X Action-Feelings of Loss=Change

Motivation X Action-Feelings of Loss=Change

Change can come from an inspiration or motivation. The emotions most often associated with change are loss and letting go of something. When people acknowledge those feelings and process them, they are more likely to achieve the changes in their lives. Change as a concept can be redefined just by changing the feeling of loss to a more positive one. The feelings of loss are typically associated with the past while the positive feelings you may conger up may be associated with the future.

Both transformation and change have a place with leaders and organization. The balancing of transformation and change is a key competency of a leader and those leaders who understand how to navigate both of these in their role and their organization, are more likely to have an engaged and productive work team.

Phil Bohlender

Phil is an experienced and enthusiastic leader with extensive expertise in business process improvement consulting, leadership and executive coaching, and meeting facilitation.